Modesto's "Apprentice" winners off to New York

If they thought they'd be finished working after 13 weeks of competition, the winners of The Valley Apprentice competition were mistaken.

Ben Balsbaugh, Jamie Norwood, Richard O'Brien and Shanelle Wilson took off from Modesto Airport early Thursday for a whirlwind trip to New York City and Virginia with entrepreneur Dan Costa. Joining them on the trip are Costa's wife, Denise, and daughter, Kelsie.

"We didn't know what to expect, and we don't really know each other," Norwood said. "It's going to be quite an adventure."

Time and travel with Costa were part of the draw for contestants aspiring to win the Apprentice competition.

The contest, sponsored by Costa, the Gallo Center for the Arts and The Bee, pitted teams of volunteers against each other as each tried to complete projects for the Center for Human Services, Sierra Vista Child and Family Services, Society for Handicapped Children and Adults, and The Salvation Army Red Shield Center. It ultimately brought in more than $700,000 in cash and in-kind donations.

Compassion Ignited, representing Sierra Vista, won the team prize. Each team then selected a most valuable member; from the group, one apprentice was supposed to be selected during a competition in July at the Gallo Center featuring Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump as judges. Costa instead decided to take all four on the trip.

The schedule calls for dinner with Eric Trump; Norwood and Wilson will head to Fashion Week activities Thursday night. Today, the group will visit the New York Stock Exchange, tour ground zero and see the Broadway play "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Saturday's agenda includes a tour of the Empire State Building before driving to Richmond, Va.

After touring historical sites in Richmond on Sunday, the apprentices will go to work Monday, helping Costa with a barbecue for a tactical association with which Costa's 5.11 Tactical does business. They will return to Modesto late that night.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing," Wilson said. "I'm not sure we would do half these things if we went with our families. It's pretty amazing."

For Balsbaugh, Norwood and Wilson, it's their first trip to New York City. O'Brien has visited several times, most recently in 2005. He said he is looking forward to seeing the stock exchange and the newly opened memorial at the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

And when they return, there's more work to be done. Although the competition is over, the projects continue:

Balsbaugh's Team Red Ops is working on expanding programs and facilities at the Red Shield Center. "We have an advisory board meeting next week," he said.

Norwood's Compassion Ignited has the first meeting of its Community Moms group at the end of the month. "And Compassion Ignited is still No. 1," she said.

Wilson's Team Valley Heat had a meeting this week to continue work on starting a business for young people at the Center for Human Services. "We're just as excited as we were, but now the stress is spread across 52 weeks instead of 13," she said.

O'Brien's Team Endless Possibilities, whose members are all now on the board of directors for the Society for the Handicapped, is working on its second annual Special Needs Ball. Oh, and they just raised another $10,000. "We're good," he said.

They said future Apprentice contestants should be ready to put forth a lot of time and effort.

"Be prepared to dedicate 13 weeks of your life to this," Norwood said.

Costa hasn't decided if he'll put together another contest, though he has said he's leaning that way.

"We'll see how this trip goes."

Bee staff writer Patty Guerra can be reached at pguerra@modbee.com or (209) 578-2343.

This story was originally published September 15, 2011 at 10:30 PM with the headline "Modesto's "Apprentice" winners off to New York."